the big topic remains the fiscal cliff. we don't know if we can avoid it, yes or no. there's still some hope for a kind of a deal done in the next few trading days, but all the talk about the fiscal cliff is keeping the mood on wall street down. blue chips trading a bit lower and a mixed session with retailers. it looks like the christmas shopping season was not that stellar, at least for the traditional retailers. the fiscal cliff is the big topic and traders are hoping we resolve that in the next few days. >> after his singsong of waiting until the sun shines. christmas eve and the dow slipping just a little bit down. in the currency market, the euro against the dollar, $1.3187. final day of the festive shopping season, the biggest moneymaker for plenty of retailers, so how did this year's sales measure up? >> it will take time for the numbers to be processed, but most think it was better than average. >> germans use the remaining hours before the shops close to snap up last-minute gifts. the big department stores in frankfurt were chock full of customers. >> my per